Leviticus 12:2

Posted on April 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 12:2 Loquere filiis Israel, et dices ad eos: Mulier, si suscepto semine pepererit masculum, immunda erit septem diebus iuxta dies separationis menstruæ.

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘A woman, when she has received seed and has borne a male, shall be unclean seven days according to the days of the separation of her menstruation.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Loquere speak 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 filiis to sons DAT.PL.M
3 Israel Israel INDECL
4 et and CONJ
5 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 ad to PREP+ACC
7 eos them ACC.PL.M
8 Mulier woman NOM.SG.F
9 si if CONJ
10 suscepto having received ABL.SG.N.PTCP
11 semine seed ABL.SG.N
12 pepererit has borne 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
13 masculum a male ACC.SG.M
14 immunda unclean NOM.SG.F
15 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
16 septem seven INDECL
17 diebus days ABL.PL.M
18 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
19 dies days ACC.PL.M
20 separationis of separation GEN.SG.F
21 menstruæ menstrual GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Imperative Commission: Loquere filiis Israel — command to address the community
Future Directive: et dices ad eos — authorization to deliver the ruling
Conditional Protasis: Mulier si suscepto semine pepererit masculum — condition describing childbirth
Apodosis: immunda erit septem diebus — legal consequence
Normative Measure: iuxta dies separationis menstruæ — standard of duration by analogy

Morphology

  1. Loquere — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: second person singular present imperative; Function: command; Translation: speak; Notes: Deponent imperative with active meaning.
  2. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to sons; Notes: Collective address.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive of identification with filiis; Translation: Israel; Notes: Covenant people.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links the two directives.
  5. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: directive statement; Translation: you shall say; Notes: Legal future.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: Introduces recipients.
  7. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: object of ad; Translation: them; Notes: Refers back to the sons of Israel.
  8. Mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject; Translation: woman; Notes: Legal subject of the ruling.
  9. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: conditional marker; Translation: if; Notes: Introduces a condition.
  10. suscepto — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative neuter singular perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having received; Notes: Sets the circumstance of conception.
  11. semine — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: ablative absolute complement; Translation: seed; Notes: Biological reference.
  12. pepererit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of condition; Translation: has borne; Notes: Perfect subjunctive in conditional clause.
  13. masculum — Lemma: masculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object; Translation: a male; Notes: Sex of the child.
  14. immunda — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: unclean; Notes: Ritual status.
  15. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: shall be; Notes: Legal determination.
  16. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifier; Translation: seven; Notes: Fixed duration.
  17. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: ablative of time; Translation: days; Notes: Period of impurity.
  18. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: comparison; Translation: according to; Notes: Sets a standard.
  19. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: days; Notes: Reference period.
  20. separationis — Lemma: separatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: genitive modifier; Translation: of separation; Notes: Technical ritual term.
  21. menstruæ — Lemma: menstruus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: modifier of separationis; Translation: menstrual; Notes: Specifies the type of separation.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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